[jag]

Couldn't agree more about the high standards of the modelling on the display layouts but I wouldn't single out Alloa for lack of movement in the operations department.

At the risk of being controversial I walked away from quite a few layouts on Friday where simply nothing was happening, given that the weekend days will see a greater number of children and less committed modellers attending one hopes the operators will give them something to see and be inspired by.

Jeremy

 

[rb277170]

Jeremy

You've resurrected this thread from last year. Alloa was at Model Rail 2008.

On Model Rail 2009, I thought maybe the standard was slightly down on 2008. However still a very enjoyable show. Spent 6 hours there yesterday and another 3 with my little nephew today . And I suppose that illustrates the differences in expectations of show visitors. His favourites were a German layout complete with moving train ferry and fire brigade putting out a fire- with a very high pressure hose that squirted watching children! Second on his list was the tram layout as he could have a go. Must admit I enjoyed having a go to. However in general his preferences were for large layouts with lots of trains moving.

His Uncle, on the other hand was more impressed by Ferring , an LB&SCR terminus with lots of prototypical train movement. Superb layout with some very nice locomotives. Made a very pleasant change from Voyagers, Turbostars and 66s going round and round!

Also enjoyed Donegal, Aithrey Park and Bishop Wearburn. I suppose the last named would have been one which Jeremy would say there was not much happening- but this was more than compensated for by the superb scenery . There was lots going on, it just wasn't hectic! And of course thanks to the tram crew. I enjoyed my stint on the Coronation Tram!

Great show - well done AMRSS again!

Someone should have a word with Clyde MRC about their catenary. Sorry lads , looks like knitting with wire wool gone haywire!

Russell

 

[jag]

A senior moment there not realising the thread I used was 2008 but anyway I thought the same last year about a lack of activity.

From Russell's comments it appears to have livened up today, perhaps on Fridays they operate fewer trains because nearly everyone there has only paid the concessionary rate.

Jeremy

 

[Doug]

A topic for this year's event.

I've moved the 3 post from last year's one to this year's one. And I've included the year in the title on this and last years events to make things more clear.

 

[db ice 3]

I WANT this roco start set!!! ... its got a e-lok with pantographs that can be raised and lowered digitally, and the passenger coach doors can be opened and closed digitally and it has all the sounds operated from the Roco multi-maus dcc controller!. its only £670.00 for the set - a £ 70 reduction from the shop price - im so tempted - but i dont model ho and it wud sit in my huge cupboard with all my honrby items iv been collecting from the past 20 years!!!. shame! if only fleischmann cud make this in n - scale!

Barental - a very nice small swiss layout with full automatic control - the overhead catenary is perfect - (so swiss!) one of the pantographs even flashes / "sparks" as it slides along the wire - one of the trains has a disco car with flashing lights inside it lol

hey guys ... well i just spent yesterday and today at the scottish show - like some of the others said, a few layouts with very little movements and technical glitches/derailments, and they just bored me! ... i can only admire the scenery and details for so long - i wanna see trains running.

im going back tomorrow for one mre look and foto shoots of my fav layouts and i might even buy a little something, although the things i want are all 3 figure price tags!.

iv taken some pics here of my favourite scenes from my favourite layouts - sadly non were british as my tastes lie with continental / swiss / german railways.

hope you enjoy my pics ... more tomorrow!

[/url]

 

[db ice 3]

omg - wots happened to my post lol - its put one of the pics sideways, its put some side by side - and my scribblings about the roco start set are right across 3 screen widths! ... wots goin on here???? - dcc glitch? lol

 

[SRman]

If you're quick you can still edit it.

Press [ENTER] after each picture or line of text to get them on to separate lines.

 

[db ice 3]

just tried to do it but it wont let me !.... can someone fix this? help! lol

 

[frame69]

Dont panic! its all still viewable

 

[neil_s_wood]

Some nice pictures there. Thanks for showing them. I wouldn't mind that Roco set but it's a bit on the dear side.

 

[db ice 3]

id wud soooo luv that roco start set, but i dont model ho/oo only n scale and its a lot of money to have tied up only for the box to be sitting in a cupboard never going to be permanently set up and brought out a few times a year to "play" with!. i was very nearly almost going back to the exhibition again today for one more visit on the last day (that wud make 3 visits, one for each day its been opened!) and take final pics. but im very tempted to buy either the fleischmann 2-4-0 tiny tank in n with 3 matching coaches as the one off pack for £248.00 - its dcc fitted - amazing! or a fleischmann digital start set (£298) with some fleischmann track that i actually need and a profi-boss controller that i can plug into my fleischmann twin centre OR that roco start set!!! ... its going to be one of the 3 items. the fleischmann items id actually use!. so not sure what to do lol if only i had £1210 to buy all three items!.

the roco demo:-

the fleischmann 2-4-0 tiny tank :-http://cgi.ebay.de/Bay-Dampflok-PT2-3-Fleischmann-Spur-N-790401-E-neu_W0QQitemZ220318041923QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDE_Modellbau_Modelleisenbahnen?hash=item220318041923&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1121%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

what to do...what to do lol

 

[db ice 3]

QUOTE (jag @ 21 Feb 2009, 12:51) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Couldn't agree more about the high standards of the modelling on the display layouts but I wouldn't single out Alloa for lack of movement in the operations department.

At the risk of being controversial I walked away from quite a few layouts on Friday where simply nothing was happening, given that the weekend days will see a greater number of children and less committed modellers attending one hopes the operators will give them something to see and be inspired by.

Jeremy

Hi jeremy! ... i cudnt agree with you more -- i can only admire scenery and modelling techniques for SO long ... and when no trains come along, i get bored and walk away.
i actually said to my friend at one large uk layout we were watching - "i think this represents another day of driver strikes on the uk network and all the trains are cancelled!". a few of the operators heard me -they looked up - well - it was intentional if you are one of the operators reading this - your layout was BORING!!!. and spectators wud stand for a few min only to walk away ... nothing was happening!!!. other smaller layouts with more trains running held the audiences attention - how do i know ? - coz they r the ones i had to stand at the back for longer till folks moved on so i cud move forward to get a look-in!.

Most folks who visit exhibitions wanna see trains run! ... esp if they bring the kids and we desperately need new young folks to get into this hobby to keep it alive for us all to enjoy!

lots of retailers there too and had great displays - thanks to those who made the effort to come some considerable distances to show your wares and offer tips and how-to-do s.

overall due to those retailers and the continental exhibits and some british outline - esp the large model of paisley central which is great!. i had a wonderful 3 days!

 

[dwb]

Thanks for posting the pictures DB Ice 3, I've enjoyed seeing them.

The Roco set is nice and I love the gadgetry.

David

 

[db ice 3]

thx david - ill try to post some more - computers arent my forte - so sorry about the pics and my writings going off the screen (if u can edit/fix it pls do!) iv no idea how that happened!

i so luv the automation that roco has incorporated into that train ... and its not just the actions, when the doors close it makes the sound too!. and the noise of the humming and fans of the e-lok is also generated! it makes me want want want! ... they shud really have that train on a little layout demonstrating its features - its only in real life that u actually appreciate the "theatre" of the whole thing!. they (the distributors have just got the box sitting on a shelf - folks are just walking past it with no idea of its capabilities - how many sales i wonder cud they have made of that as an operating train on a demo track?! .. eben if a couple of folks had bought it for their kids - thats more possibly getting into the hobby!

it does however make all other trains afterwards seem so dead and lifeless afterwards tho with no sounds or actions!. i think it shows how this hobby will and can keep developing to keep the new generation of modellers satisfied. hope other manufacturers offer options likt this and then maybe the price will come down too!

£670 isnt too bad when u consider that u get the e-lok (with sound decoder as well as 2 raiseable/lowerable pantographs, interior controllable cab lights at each end plus head/tail lights) , the 3 carriages with controllable interior lighting, as well as the opening/closing doors with the accompanying sounds! ... a reasonable (and not hornby-like mean) oval of track, and the latest roco-maus handset with amplifier and transformer. the loco alone must be over £200 worth and the 3 passenger coaches - dunno. the roco-maus, amplifier and transformer must be worth £150 ish/+ ... so i think, yes its a lot of money, but your getting a fair amount of equipment - and the entertainment value alone must be worth something? lol.

i might be going to see it again, with credit card this time in hand! grrrrrr

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE Most folks who visit exhibitions wanna see trains run! ... esp if they bring the kids and we desperately need new young folks to get into this hobby to keep it alive for us all to enjoy!

It's amazing how many layout operators just don't get this.

The Roco set is good value for what you get when you look at what you get in the box. It is just that the price ticket stands out a bit more. Maybe time to change to HO?

 

[db ice 3]

hey there guys - have a look in the HO section - iv posted something that might interest ya if you v been reading this so far! )

 

[Doug]

Gents, many thanks for the photos, but please keep them down to 700 or 800 pixels wide (max)

We have guidelines about photos here: http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25

There are many free photo editing tools available and free photo hosting services that allow you to host images of a reasonable size. If you are looking for such a program and service, try Google Picasa and Picasa web hosting.

 

[1ngram]

We went down to Glasgow on the friday and, as usual, bought a pile of stuff. I thought the layout of the exhibition wasn't very helpful. The traders seemed squashed into specific sections of the hall (real bottlenecks sthere) and there was acres of wasted space amongst the layouts. Very little second hand stuff available, alas. For much of Friday many of the layouts seemed to be on strike with very little activity. The T gauge display was attracting a lot of interest especially at a price under £50.00. Nice to see the tram layout again. When it first came back on the exhibition round in Scotland it was awful and looked like it had been lying in an attic for a decade but at each successive appearance they have repaired and improved a little more so even the overhead now looks respectable. The two big dealers that don't come and should are Squires and Freestone. Their goodies are sorely missed. Spoke to very helpful guys on the Hornby stand about why only three forward lights work on the Hi Speed train on DCC and after a frantic call back to HQ found out thats what is lit on daylight trains. I wonder if there is a way of getting all four to operate for night time? If so Hornby should really have told us how to do it.

 

[RandR]

QUOTE (rb277170 @ 21 Feb 2009, 15:27) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Jeremy

You've resurrected this thread from last year. Alloa was at Model Rail 2008.

On Model Rail 2009, I thought maybe the standard was slightly down on 2008. However still a very enjoyable show. Spent 6 hours there yesterday and another 3 with my little nephew today . And I suppose that illustrates the differences in expectations of show visitors. His favourites were a German layout complete with moving train ferry and fire brigade putting out a fire- with a very high pressure hose that squirted watching children! Second on his list was the tram layout as he could have a go. Must admit I enjoyed having a go to. However in general his preferences were for large layouts with lots of trains moving.

His Uncle, on the other hand was more impressed by Ferring , an LB&SCR terminus with lots of prototypical train movement. Superb layout with some very nice locomotives. Made a very pleasant change from Voyagers, Turbostars and 66s going round and round!

Also enjoyed Donegal, Aithrey Park and Bishop Wearburn. I suppose the last named would have been one which Jeremy would say there was not much happening- but this was more than compensated for by the superb scenery . There was lots going on, it just wasn't hectic! And of course thanks to the tram crew. I enjoyed my stint on the Coronation Tram!

Great show - well done AMRSS again!

Someone should have a word with Clyde MRC about their catenary. Sorry lads , looks like knitting with wire wool gone haywire!

Russell
Hi Russell,
I too attended Model Rail Scotland at the weekend.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Just a little point. Clyde MRC exhibited a 009 layout called Perth Green Wharf, it was Clydeside MRC with the hideous catenary on their layout Allander Bank
R

 

[db ice 3]

QUOTE (RandR @ 23 Feb 2009, 14:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Russell,
I too attended Model Rail Scotland at the weekend.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Just a little point. Clyde MRC exhibited a 009 layout called Perth Green Wharf, it was Clydeside MRC with the hideous catenary on their layout Allander Bank
R

hi russell - i also saw allander bank! . what a lovely layout spoiled by the most disastrous and awful looking overhead catenary i have ever seen!. that layout was an embarassment because of it - and it was quite a talking point amongst other exhibitors and retailers!. the folks i bought my roco start set from were horrified by it, as were the folks from one of the continental layouts!.

i even asked the guys operating allander bank - what went wrong with their catenary and they didnt get it!!! ... they replied they were having trouble with one of their electric locos under it!! ... i replied - are you surprised???....nothing would run under that - its just bloody awful!. it really wud rip a pantograph off a loco or the loco wud pull the whole lot down!. its a complete and utter mess. and thats a real shame because the rest of the layout is actually quite nice!.

heres a few pics to show folks and to compare with barenthal - the swiss layout with beautiful catenary and pantographs skiding smoothly along in contact with it the whole time of the show over 3 days without a glitch!.

Allander bank:-

Barenthal Swiss layout! - notice how neat tidy and well u cant see it, but it was a functional ole. still ... maybe allander bank is accurate for the uk - the west coast mainline overhead lines were torn to shreds days after it opened by a passing train - maybe its me that missing something!.